Broken
by RedTailedHawkens
Summary: After the curse breaks, Henry confronts Drizella.


Author's Note: First I want to thank everyone who has shown support to my Ivry fanfiction. Second, so I had this idea before 7x05 aired, and then with the reveal at the end of 7x05 it seems both more and less plausible than it did when I first thought it up. This is the story of what happens after the curse is broken. Please enjoy.

Broken

They were coming. Drizella knew they were coming. It was only a matter of time. They would know what she did to them. They would know who she was. Not even her mother could protect her now, not that mother ever would. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised to find her mother leading the mob, in spite of everything. It was all a right mess, and now she had to deal with it.

There was movement outside the door. _This is it_ , she thought, bracing herself. She heard the door opened, and she turned to face it, holding her head high to meet … Henry.

"Come to take me away?" She asked, her voice alight with dry humor. Or perhaps it was gallows humor, as that was no doubt where she was headed.

"You cast the curse?"

"Why are you asking? You know what I did."

"I wanted confirmation. I didn't want to believe … why?"

"Why do I do anything? I did it for me, Henry. I did it because it was what I needed, and what I deserved. It was the only way to get out from mother, to earn respect, to have …"

"You destroyed lives, because of your mother?" Henry shook his head, "No, I don't believe it. There's more to this. That's not you anymore."

She laughed, a cold, bitter laugh, "Henry. Do you honestly think you ever really knew me?"

Slowly, hesitantly, he looks up at her. He smiles, and her heart clenches. He steps forward, "I do." He catches her eyes, and she can't look away. She never could. "Why did you do this?"

"For me, I … I did it for … I did it for us." It's a whisper, and she hates the tear that slips past, the weakness it shows.

"For us?"

"That's right. I thought … I thought that without Cinderella and Lucy, we might have a chance. That if you didn't remember the love of your life and your daughter you might, might fall in love with me this time."

"But I was going … why didn't you just come to me, talk to me?"

"Time was running out. I had to make a choice, and you had already made your."

"I had, and it was you."

"What?"

"I chose you, Drizella. I was on my way to find you, to tell you when the curse hit-"

"Don't patronize me Henry. I mean, god, even cursed, you were smitten with Jacinda."

"I was. You're right. I was smitten. And you're right that she is the mother of my child. I'll always love her for that. But you're wrong too. You're wrong when you say she's the love of my life. I was smitten, sure, but I was never in love. Not with her. That was you. That was always you."

Drizella shivered, "Even if … even if that's true, it doesn't matter now. After what I did-"

"Did you forget who my mom is? She cast the first Dark Curse; she tortured my grandparents for twenty-eight years. She even killed people, once upon a time," Henry came closer, taking her hands in his, "But she changed."

"That's the thing though. I haven't. I'm selfish, Henry. I put myself first. I cursed this whole town to be with you, and I would do it again. For just one moment, for you to look at me and love me, I would curse everybody." Henry shook his head, "You see. You're disgusted with me."

"Will you stop trying to tell me how I feel? I know you think that nobody can love you, but nobody is unlovable, and despite what you think, I have fallen in love with you. It wasn't in an instant. It was a million little moments of fighting and learning and talking until suddenly your was the face I would dream about and your was the voice I wanted to hear. That kind of love, it's real. I've seen it. And now," he lifted her hand in his, and brought it to his heart, "I've felt it. And I don't want to lose it. Because when you have that kind of love, you fight for it. I'm willing to fight for you Drizella."

"How can you be? I'm … I'm broken. I am so broken Henry. Even you can't fix me." her voice was sad, but sure. There was no doubt in Drizella's mind of what she was, and what fate awaited her for that very reason. She went and sat on her bed, her head down, trying to shut out the man who didn't know when to quit.

"You don't need-"

"How can you not see it? What I am? What I've done? This is all there is. I'm the evil-stepsister, and you can't just make that go away."

Henry sighed and took a seat next to her, "You know why they say I have the heart of the truest believer? It's not because I believed in magic and pixie dust. It's because I believed in people. I believed in Emma, and in my mom, and in Rumpelstiltskin. I believed in Captain Hook … both of them. I don't think my love can change you, because I don't think you need to change. You just need to find that part of yourself that I see, that I've always seen, since the day we met. So stop telling me to walk away and to go back to my family because it's not going to happen. I mean, I'm not leaving them. I love Lucy more than anything, and I'll always love Ella for being her mother. She's a dear friend to me. But she doesn't need me. You need me and … and I need you. I need you so much."

Henry leaned forward and cupped Drizella's cheek. She looked into his eyes, and felt the ache that was always there. They both leaned in, and he captured her mouth in his. She closed her eyes, feeling the taste of him. They had kissed, when he thought she was Ivy, when he didn't remember, but this was so much more. It brought to mind days long past, days in a land far away. Days when she had tried to tell herself that she didn't love Henry Mills.

"They're going to come after me." She said, when they pulled apart.

"We'll face them together."

"It's not that simple. It … it wasn't just me Henry. There were more people involved. The curse … more is coming, and I don't know if I can protect you, protect us. The others-"

"We'll deal. You just have to believe."

"I don't know how."

"I'll teach you."

"I don't think I can-"

"Do you love me?"

She waited a beat. Two beat. "Yes." It came out as a whisper, but it was said, all the same. It was the most terrifying thing Drizella had ever said to anybody.

"Then believe that we can get through this. Love is the most powerful magic of all. It creates happiness. And we can be happy. Whoever else comes after us, whatever happens … I will make you happy, Drizella. I love you, and you deserve to be happy."

"It won't last. They will come, and there will be hell to pay, from both sides of this battle. But, for what it's worth, right now, with you. I am happy."

She gave him a watery smile and Henry kissed the tears off her cheeks. "Good. Because I am too. Now, shall we go face the day?"

Drizella shook her head, "In a minute. We can't stop them, but until they come, let's just, be here, together."

"That sounds like a good plan to me."


End file.
